St. Louis Rapper J-Kwon Returns With Second Album This Year

After stepping into the indie music scene with his Hood Hop 2 digital project in February, J-Kwon is set to unleash an entire collection of new music in late July called Hood Hop 2.5.

The upcoming project offers 13 original tracks from the St. Louis dynamo, as he offers a remix contest for budding producers and prepares a new online reality show in conjunction with the release.

His new single is called “Louie Bounce (I Smacked Nikki),” an ode to his native St. Louis. Other standout tracks on the upcoming album include “Tipsy 09,” an update of J-Kwon’s 2004 smash hit “Tipsy,” and “Do The Stevie”, another dance favorite.

At just 23-years-old, J-Kwon enjoyed formidable success while still in high school as a part of Jermaine Dupri’s reign at Arista. His rough upbringing gave way to edgy lyrics that became hit songs like “Tipsy,” “You & Me” and “Hood Hop” in 2004, and his collaboration with Bow Wow and Jermaine Dupri “Fresh Azimiz” in 2005.

A hiatus from the hectic pace of the industry gave J-Kwon fresh insight for his future.

“I am happy to be giving my longtime fans music that excites me,” said J-Kwon of his new music. “Hood Hop 2.5 is another chapter of my growth as an artist, and I look forward to giving the my generation what they want. From party songs to lyrics about life — I can do it all. I have a long career ahead of me, and I hope the fans are ready to take this journey with me.”

The album is produced mostly by J Skillz da Bandman, who also shows up on one track as a guest, while other beatmakers include Chris Rich and Beatdown Boyz.